Demonic Yoshi V2
by Ben Kitsune
Summary: Bigger, Better, Darker, Eviler. The demonic Yoshi has returned from a five year hiatus, and this time, he's out for more blood than ever before.
1. Chapter 1: Encounter in the Dark

To all those who were wondering, I'm really, _really_ sorry for the extended delay. I don't really have any excuse as to why I discontinued my story….I guess I sort of lost interest in it. However, to make up for the five years I have not continued my story, I have rewritten _Demonic Yoshi_ and cleaned it up quite a bit.

Newer fonts (though I'm not sure just how compatible this will be with you don't experience anything like _italics_, **bold**, or underline in the story, as well as different font styles then I guess something didn't work…), new dialogue, new events, different format, and a much, _much_, _MUCH_ eviler Yoshi…grant you, there will still be things that will be the same, but I am not deleting my old fiction so as to allow fans of the original _Demonic Yoshi_ to compare and contrast. I honestly feel, however, that _this_ version is better than the last, but I will let you make the judgment for yourselves. Don't forget to leave a review, though!

In any case, as the title suggests, Yoshi goes stark-raving mad, insane, bonkers, and absolutely flipping evil. If you can't handle the image of even a cute fluffy bunny hopping around with a glint in it's eye and carrying a blood-stained butcher knife, you'd probably not read this. Oh yeah, lots of blood and adult language, as well as subtle descriptions of adult situations, so….yeah. Read at your own risk.

**Demonic Yoshi v2**

**Written by Benjamin T. Kitsune**

Chapter 1: Encounter in the Dark

Yoshi couldn't believe it. He just could not believe it. His home, ransacked, and destroyed. Everything of value: His pictures, his games, his TV, his Nintendo GameCube, his FOOD, taken. Everything not of value, so there was nothing of his house left. NOTHING. Just a hut that seemingly "collapsed". Yoshi considered two things:

-Either the hut collapsed or people thought he was dead and taken everything.

-Somebody stole everything and destroyed it.

Yoshi strongly considered the second option, as the house was in a position it wouldn't have lain it if it collapsed by itself. Second, the hut itself wouldn't have collapsed given its strong foundation and sturdy supports; it would have lasted for years. Third, it happened only today. Sighing, he went over to his best friend's home. It was pretty far off from the village, but then again, so was his own hut. Yoshi knew of a shortcut to get there faster and took it.

The sight there horrified him, as his best friend's hut had also been destroyed. Shaking his head in denial, he dove upon the wreckage and began throwing debris left and right. After about five minutes of digging, he came across a green shoe. Placing it down, he went back to the rubble. It was another fifteen minutes before Yoshi found her. She was oddly twisted at an angle, and impaled with a support beam. One of her arms was so twisted it was broken and looked as if it would snap if it were twisted any tighter. Blood was all around her…though, it was mostly on herself and the beam support.

From the look of it, any idiot could see she was very, very dead.

Yoshi couldn't stand it anymore, for the female that had perish was none other than Birdo. True, Baby Mario was said to be Yoshi's best friend, but Yoshi cared for Birdo even more. She was his life. Because, you see, Yoshi was really in love with Birdo, and he was going to tell her that day. This day, which went horribly, terribly wrong. He couldn't find any flowers she'd like, his fruit gift destroyed at the devastation of his home, and her untimely death. Yoshi collapsed to his knees, then to all fours, where he started to cry. Pounding on the ground, Yoshi let out an agonizing wail of despair. He had loved her with all his heart, and was too afraid to admit it. When the big day finally came, she was taken. Snatched away with no second thought…

Yoshi cried until he could cry no more. As he slowly and painfully got up, he noticed something white and crumpled in her hand. Stumbling over, Yoshi grasped her lifeless clawed hand. Immediately, Yoshi burst into cries anew as he buried his face onto her lifeless body. Managing to get ahold of himself, he worked the paper out of her hand and silently read it to himself...

Dear Journal,

I can't hold my feelings any longer. I cannot hide from my fear. It's about Yoshi. We're best friends, right? Well, journal, I really hope to change that. I've prayed to the stars night after every single painful night, that'd he return my feelings. I have never worked up the courage to do that. Well, it's time. I'm going over to Yoshi's place this afternoon to tell him...that I love hi---

The rest of the note had a long streak down the paper where the pen must have slipped from her hand. Yoshi was in tears anew. She DID love him back, but she never got to confess her feelings to him.

She didn't even have time to finish writing in her journal.

Yoshi looked at the carnage, and found a small pink box by Birdo's left foot. Another note was crumpled next to it. He calmly walked over to the box, and also read the small little note.

Birdo + Yoshi Lovers Forever.

Yoshi wanted to cry again, but he couldn't. Instead, he looked at the box. Opening it, he saw a small, tiny little locket. Reaching down, he carefully and delicately removed it from its container, letting the box slipped numbly out of his hands as he gazed upon the necklace. It was 14 karat gold, and attached to a thin chain that would fit around even Yoshi's enlarged cranium. Yoshi looked for more clues, and found that it belonged to Birdo, and that it had been one of her most valued possessions. She was to give it to him...Yoshi's lips trembled….and he hesitated before opening it up. Inside the heart-shaped locket was a small picture of them together, taken during the old Tennis tournament several years ago…

Yoshi wanted to cry. However, as much as his heart wrenched inside of his chest, the tears simply would not come. Though, as he gazed upon it, he felt warmth inside of his chest. A passion, a light that shone with love. And he knew…he knew Birdo wouldn't want him to see him sad. Slowly, he closed the locket and placed it around his head, the metal feeling cool against his scales. The wind blew past, carrying the scent of Birdo's _Eau de Fire Flower_ perfume she loved to wear so much.

"Thank you….Birdo." Yoshi whispered softly. Surveying one last look over the scene of destruction, he wrenched his gaze away before dragging himself off to alert the townspeople of the event…

Over the course of two months, Yoshi was sad at the loss of his love. However, whenever he felt strongly grieved, he'd grasp the locket and his memories of his lost love would fill him with warmth, with knowledge she was still looking over him. However, as the days dragged on, the weeks passed, Yoshi slowly found that despite the warm memories, the pain in his heart kept growing bigger and bigger, and he grew more saddened with each passing day. Life just wasn't the same without Birdo…one day, as Yoshi was out on his daily walk, he lost his footing and tumbled down the hillside. Coming to a stop, he found himself in front of a cave. Ever curious, Yoshi entered it. The green reptile usually didn't like caves as they were dark, but his sense of curiosity got the better of him most of the time.

As he went further down, Yoshi found it got colder and much darker. It wasn't two minutes before Yoshi was completely surrounded in the pitch-black darkness. Feeling panicky, he wanted to get away, he hated total dark. But some unseen force kept driving him, kept him moving forward. Fast…

**-Yoshi…**- A voice emerged the darkness. It was deep, guttural, seeming to bounce off the walls, enshrouding and piercing Yoshi to his core. It was a voice of unknown origin, but commanded respect by its very tone. He wondered just exactly how he heard it, because even though he knew somebody had just spoken out loud, Yoshi didn't hear it with his ears…but, rather, his _mind_.

"Huh? Who's there?" Yoshi managed to call out, regaining his voice.

**-Yoshi…-**

"Who's there! Answer me!" Yoshi cried out.

**-Yoshi…come…-**

Shaking his head, Yoshi pressed on. Who was calling him? Who did that voice belong to? He had to find out, and pressed on. The strange unseen force from before seemed to fuel him even more…whenever Yoshi felt tired, to the brink of exhaustion, he would suddenly find a boost of strength and energy. Whenever he felt he was going to slow down, he would speed up instead. His walk sped up to a trot, which in turn eventually bumped up towards a jog. Before he knew it, the emerald long-tongued beast was flat out sprinting down the cavern corridors, the strange voice occasionally calling out to him, beckoning him with a greater sense of urgency the further he descended into the darkness.

"I'm coming! Whoever you are, I'm coming!" Yoshi called out in response.

Finally, after what seemed like hours and many twists and turns, Yoshi found a room with an unnatural light coming from a pitch black pool. It was very confusing to Yoshi. Why was this room the only room in the cave with light? And just how was light coming out of a black pool of water? Suddenly, Yoshi heard the strange voice again…

**-Yoshi…come to the pool!-**

Yoshi paused, not trusting the strange source of luminosity. Though, he felt that he needed to go to the pool, as it was calling him, summoning him, with an incredible sense of urgency. Yoshi couldn't resist, despite trying to hold himself back…

**-You are sad that Birdo is dead…yes?-**

"How…? How did you…" Yoshi spoke, surprised. "Who are--?"

**-I know many things, my green friend. Do not despair…I am a friend. My name is not of any importance, as I go by many. You may refer to me however you wish, but I have called you here for a reason…-**

"Why?" Yoshi croaked out, finding himself barely able to speak.

**-As I asked you before, you pain for the loss of Birdo…do you not? The hole in your heart, it grows steadily larger day by day. The sorrow, it claws at your soul…-**

Yoshi nodded wordlessly…

**-Was it an accident, do you think?-**

Yoshi was silent. He did not know.

**-Well, my friend? What do YOU think? Was it an accident?-**

"I…I….I d-d-don't k-know. What do you mean?"

**-I mean the destruction, Yoshi. The destruction of your house. The destruction of Birdo's. Her untimely death. You remember how it looked…the way it had fallen in on itself. Do you believe, my friend, that this was just some mere coincidence? That this was an accident?-**

"N-no. S-s-somebody destroyed...my house and Birdo's. It couldn't have been an accident."

**-Well, then. There's your answer. No, it was not an accident, Yoshi. Somebody DID destroy your house, and somebody DID kill Birdo….I know…-**

"You know?" Yoshi repeated, cocking his head. "How--"

**-I know….who it was….-**

"Tell me!" He cried out, falling to his knees. "I must know! Who was it?"

**-No.-**

"NO? Why not!"

**-Not unless you are willing…-**

"Willing? To do what?"

**-To get revenge! You can, you MUST! Avenge your love's death!-**

"Avenge…" Yes, revenge sounded like a good idea. Birdo's death was very untimely. She should not have been taken from him! Yoshi, however, was confounded, murmuring, "How do you…suggest I do that?"

**-YOU MUST KILL HIM!- **The strange disembodied voice thundered from the pool. The mere suggestion shocked Yoshi back with a cry. _Kill him?_ He repeated in his head, _KILL him?_ The idea made him sick…the concept of deliberate murder, even for revenge, was wrong, and he knew it.

**-Kill him, Yoshi! Bring righteous justice down upon him. He took the life of your love, a crime he must pay for with his own! You must kill him, the same way he killed her! YOU CAN AVENGE HER DEATH! Yoshi, are you willing!-**

"No!" Yoshi suddenly shook his head, stepping back. "I won't commit murder, even to avenge Birdo!"

**-Fool! Do you not see! This crime is of a very high magnitude! It demands payback of the highest vengeance!-**

"NO!" Yoshi repeated, more forcefully. "The M.K.P.D. is looking into it. They'll find—"

**-The Mushroomers are fools! They'll never find the true culprit; they'll just assume it was a freak accident! Even now they're closing the case as we speak!-**

"You lie!" Yoshi accused. "They're still—they're still…." He paused…beginning to doubt. They couldn't be. Peach herself promised him they would get to the bottom of the mystery.

**-They are.-**

"No! I refuse to believe that! I REFUSE!" Disgusted, Yoshi tore himself from the dark pool, turning to dash off. The voice called out to him as he fled, though…

**-You cannot run from the dark truth, my friend! You'll see!-**

Yoshi closed his eyes—not that it mattered since he was essentially running blindly through the cavern anyway without any light. Though, having no sense of where he was running, he kept banging his knees and arms against the rocky walls and the stalagmites littering the ground, even tripping once or twice. As the voice continued, Yoshi's hands flew up to where his ears would have been, even though it was ineffective in blocking the voice out.

**-You are a fool to disregard me! You'll be back, I swear it!-**

As he continued to flee, however, the voice grew weaker and softer in its angry curses, until it eventually disappeared to the point Yoshi could no longer hear it at all. Exhausted, dazed, starving, and utterly confounded, it took Yoshi several hours to find his way back out of the cave. Just when he thought he would be lost within it forever, he spotted the light at the end of the cave, and emerged to see the dawn of a new day over the horizon.

"That was…" Yoshi began, but could not find a word suitable to describe the harrowing adventure he had just been through. Mumbling something incoherent to himself, Yoshi staggered off back towards Mario's pad, where he was currently staying until another home for him could be built.

Still, a lingering doubt still covered in the back of his mind, and as much as he hated to admit it…

He had a dark feeling that voice was right.

_**END CHAPTER ONE**_

_A/N: And so, the first chapter draws to a close. However, it's only just the beginning. The next Chapter, Descent Into Madness, will have Yoshi encountering the dark voice again, as he struggles to maintain his mental grip on the world…_

_Don't forget to leave a review! –B. Kitsune_


	2. Chapter 2: Descent Into Madness

**Demonic Yoshi v2**

**Chapter 2: Descent into Madness**

Yoshi continued to walk back to Mario's pad, the events of what had happened earlier in the cave still fresh in his mind.

_**Kill the culprit, Yoshi. Find him, make him suffer…**No, I can't do that. That's…that's wrong. No matter how right it may seem, it's wrong to purposely take somebody's life. **You are a fool, Yoshi, the police will think it's a freak accident and are closing the case…**No, they can't be…they just can't be…maybe I should check, though…_

His mind continued to rage back and forth, trying to figure out what was right. He felt in his heart that voice—whoever he, she, or it was—was wrong. Even Princess Peach herself told him face-to-face that she promised they would not rest until they found out what had happened.

Though, he had to figure, it _could_ have been an accident. But, the support beams were sturdy! They were designed to last for years! A support beam just didn't collapse under its own weight for no reason….but then again, looks could be deceiving. Yoshi decided he would check in with the Mushroom Kingdom Police Department later on that day, when he was sufficiently rested and nourished. Stumbling into Mario's yard, the emerald dinosaur had to nearly drag himself up the small steps and through the front door.

Meanwhile, Mario was sitting at the table, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the local newspaper. Glancing up at hearing the door open, he was surprised when his friend walked in.

"Yoshi! My Stars, what happened to you? You look like-a absolute wreck!" The portly plumber proclaimed in his Italian accent. Getting to his feet, he crossed over to Yoshi, helping to support him and bring him over to the table.

"Got….lost….in cave." Yoshi meekly rasped out. He could barely find the energy to speak, let alone do anything else, allowing himself to slump into Mario's arms. "Must…suh…sle…" And with that, he lost consciousness.

Upon awakening, however, Yoshi found himself in a dark area…all he could see was mist, enshrouding him and obscuring his vision. He shivered, feeling cold. _Where am I?_ he thought. _Don't tell me I'm back in that dark cave again..._

_**You'll come back, I swear it! You'll come back, I swear it…**No! Please don't tell me I'm back…I thought I got…Mario? Where are you! _

**-Welcome back, my friend.-**

_NOOOO! I can't be in that dark cave! GO AWAY!_

**-Relax, Yoshi. You're not back there. I'm speaking to you through my magic.-**

_What do you want!_

**-You know why I'm here. Please reconsider…you are strong, my friend. Strong to punish those foolish enough to further the suffering of those that have already suffered.-**

_I've done that before; whoever you are…I can do it again! I don't need your help!_

**-Don't be stubborn, my friend. You are experiencing dark times, and as such the darkness in your heart is growing larger with each passing memory. You remember you beloved Birdo…how does it feel, to know that you will no longer enjoy her presence?- **

Suddenly, Yoshi was hit with memories of Birdo. Good ones, bad ones, funny ones, sad ones. The time he surprised her, arguments, just romping around, playing tennis, and just having fun. Yoshi, painfully stricken with grief felt himself dropping to all fours, even though he wasn't aware he had been standing up in the first place. Each memory brought more pain, more cold. He couldn't stand it…

**-Tell me, Yoshi! Do you REALLY want to LIVE with this pain, forever! Each day will be more painful…more lonely…you know in your heart this isn't right! Your soul screams for vengeance! I can hear you subconsciously raging for the sake of your Birdo!-**

Yoshi shook his head, grasping it. _She wouldn't want me to kill for her! She's not like that! No! I won't!_

**-You WILL! You MUST! Embrace the darkness, Yoshi! Let yourself fall into the darkness….the darkness will help you heal. The darkness shall set you free!- **

_No! I can't! No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

The emerald reptile then felt himself falling….dropping through the blinding darkness as he screamed out in denial. Then, as he fell, he felt himself shaking, before plunging into a deep, dark sea, and found himself unable to breathe…his eyes snapped open, and he found himself staring into the deep sapphire blue eyes of Mario. His Italian friend stood over him, his gloved hands grasping his arms.

"Mario?" He breathed, before he realized he was wet, too. A bucket, that had been full of water, was discarded and on its side nearby.

"Yoshi…you were-a screaming. I tried to a-wake you up, but you didn't respond at all! I'm sorry for throwing the water on you, but…"

"No, no, it's alright, Mario. Thank you." Yoshi's eyes closed halfway, as he relaxed against the motherboard.

"What were you dreaming about that made you so upset, Yoshi?" The portly plumber in red inquired, as he brought a gloved hand up to his chin.

"I….I was in this…dark area. I don't know where I was….I couldn't see anything. And then I…I heard this voice, and…I don't remember what happened, but then I felt myself falling…and I landed in the cold sea. I think that was when you threw the water on me. But, honestly, that's all I can remember." Yoshi managed to stammer out, shaking his head. "It was so dark…and so cold. I still feel like I'm freezing…"

Mario nodded, still concerned. "Well, if anything, let's just hope it was a bad dream and nothing else. C'mon, let's get you dried up. You're probably starving, too…"

"What time is it?" The green reptile asked Mario.

"About 3:00 in the afternoon. You've been sleeping all day."

"That long? Geeze…though, you're right! I'm famished. I feel like I've wasted away to nothing!"

Mario laughed, smiling. Old Yoshi never seemed to be dispirited for long. "Well, come on then. I'll make something for you. Afterwards, you can help with the support group, if you feel you're up to it."

"Support group?"

"Yes. Some of the Toads around Toad Town have established a group dedicated to helping out families in need and rebuilding homes that Bowser destroyed in his various attacks. That sort of thing." Mario said, as they headed down to the kitchen. Pulling out some utensils and some food, he began to cut up some melons and cantaloupe among others to prepare a fruit salad. Yoshi took a seat, nodding a bit and speaking.

"Ah. Sounds fun! I could do something like that. Sure." He paused. "Though, I'd like to stop by the police department after this. It…has to do deal with the case on Birdo's death."

"Oh." Mario suddenly looked down, his moustache seeming to droop. He turned back to the food on the counter, beginning to place it in a large bowl.

"…Mario? What's wrong?" Yoshi pondered. He stopped suddenly, remembering. **_The Mushroom Police will think it's a freak accident. Even now, they are closing the case as we speak…._**

"The case on Birdo….it was closed." Mario said, placing the bowl of fruit salad on the table and placing down a fork for him. "The detectives could not determine a cause."

"No! That can't be!" Yoshi jumped from his seat. _It can't be! It just CAN'T BE!_ "How? Those support beams were sturdy, Mario! A house just _doesn't collapse in on itself for no reason!_"

"You think I don't _know_ that, Yosh?" Mario shot back, before sighing, his facial expression softening. "Look, I know Peach promised you they'd get to the bottom of it, but they couldn't find any evidence—"

"THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY _EVIDENCE!_" The reptile raged in disbelief. "How could they not find anything!"

"Yoshi, calm down. And don't cut me off! There's no evidence to suggest anything aside from an accident. The whole thing is completely enigmatic! Yours and Birdo's houses were in two very stable plots of land—even if an earthquake were to hit, which was unlikely, your houses wouldn't have fallen down. As even you said, the support beams were extremely sturdy, there was no way they would have just fallen over. The bases were erect, and everything was in order. Nothing short of an explosion could have knocked those houses down and unless your homes were wired with bombs, there's no evidence to provide a logical explanation!"

Yoshi was silent. Mario _did_ have a point, after all. _But, if there was no evidence, then, how did…**It was no accident, Yoshi. Somebody KILLED her. This is no coincidence! This is murder!**_ His thoughts raged through his mind, but he said nothing. He continued to just stare blankly ahead at Mario…almost through him.

"I'm really sorry, Yoshi. I truly am." The Italian man in red said after a moment, having received no response. "I don't know what to say that would make you feel better."

"Then _don't_ say anything." Yoshi spat, his voice a bit cold. Mario flinched a bit, but nodded. Some time passed as the two ate in silence, before Mario got up from the table to place his bowl in the sink.

"Well, I'm going to be heading on out, Yoshi. You know how to contact me if you need anything, alright?"

Yoshi snorted a bit, his voice a bit weak. "Yeah, sure." He mumbled. Mario stared at his green friend for a moment, before he turned and left the house, heading over to the warp pipe to travel to the nearby town. Yoshi watched him leave, before he got up to place his own dish in the sink.

_This had to have been a purposeful murder. But who would have DONE such a thing? Who…**-I know who did it, Yoshi…-** You…but you said…**-There are certain things that have to be done, Yoshi. Do what must be done! Embrace the darkness!- **No! I cannot…I will not kill…I can't, I simply can't…! _Another mental battle began to rage in his head, and he felt a headache come onto him. _I need some aspirin._

…Over the days, however, Yoshi continued to be plagued by nightmares. His memories of Birdo slowly shifted from giving him warmth, to paining him deeply with the knowledge he would never see her smile again, never see her face shine with happiness and beauty, never smell her sweet scent or feel the warmth of her hand on his. His heart ached with the loss…he felt he should move on, he knew she wouldn't want him to be like this, but he couldn't help it. He felt like he wanted to move on, but he felt a deep black feeling in his soul…a tar of sorts that he stuck to, unable to move. He also kept finding himself in that dark cavern in his dreams, with the voice returning night after night…gently coaxing him to find her murderer, and extract vengeance.

**-Kill….KILL…KILL!-**the voice would often repeat. It had at first been gentle, coaxing, assuringly, but as Yoshi resisted, the pressure from the voice would grow. At this point, however, it had grown to harshly commanding him. Yoshi continued to defy it, but as they days passed, Yoshi felt strange dark urges. Once, when Yoshi was washing dishes with Mario, he had found an odd desire to smash one of the ceramic plates upon his friend's head.

Another instance found himself with a nearly irrepressible urge to shove a trowel through Parakarry's head, delivering the afternoon's mail as Yoshi tended to the garden. The dinosaur was struggling to bash a PVC pipe through Luigi's heart as he came to visit from his mansion…one time, during dinner after a relatively uneventful day…Yoshi was helping Mario cook, a stir fry of various vegetables.

"Yoshi, hand me one of those skillets, would you?" The plumber asked his dino buddy.

"Yeah, Mar, give me a sec." Yoshi responded, opening a small area under the microwave and pulling out a rather large iron frying pan. Getting to his feet and turning to Yoshi's back, a cold desire gripped his heart, as the voice from before whispered in the back of his mind…

**-You have the power, Yoshi….you can exact vengeance….just imagine the power you have, and how you're letting it go to waste. It wouldn't even be messy. Just a swift konk to the back of the head with a frying pan…it would be oh so very easy, it wouldn't have to be bloody at all…-**

_NO! GO AWAY! _Yoshi's thoughts screeched.

**-The darkness only hurts because it's telling you it cares, Yoshi. Submit to the darkness. Surrender to the overwhelming darkness, and it will all go away…the pain will end forever…-**

Yoshi struggled with his mind, feeling another headache coming on, unable to bear it as he came under attack by the dark voice.

**-Surrender…Surrender…Surrender…-**

"NEVER!" Yoshi screamed, heaving the skillet with all his might at the wall, smashing a dent in it. Mario, surprised, leaped into the air with a yelp and turning around, his blue eyes wide as saucers. Unable to speak, he stared at Yoshi for a moment, blinking in confusion. The dinosaur stared back, twitching with his own eyes wide in shock and horror…"I'm….I'm sorry, Mario." He paused. "Please, don't…don't worry about me. I…I've lost my appetite…..I'm going to bed, I don't feel at all well."

Without really waiting for a response, Yoshi sighed and turned, heading towards the bedroom. Going over to the bottom bunk, he pulled down the green comforter and slid under the sheets, curling up. He had hoped, and thought, a nap would help.

However, the nightmares came back much more powerful than ever, and every night it was worse and worse. Another three weeks dragged on, and Yoshi was slowly but surely beginning to become sleep deprived in a desperate effort to avoid the nightmare. His once cheery face was a wreck of despair, and bags under his eyes. His once shimmering emerald scales were now a pale sickly lime. He rarely smiled anymore, and if he did it was only a sad one. He continuously trembled…and Mario began to get really worried. Every time he spoke to his friend, Yoshi would just lay on his side, twitching, mumbling "Gotta save space" over and over again under his breath. As a safe note, Mario suggested seeing a psychiatrist, but all that ended up doing was the doctor being unable to get much farther than having Yoshi admit over and over about darkness everywhere, consuming him, and feeling lost…

Nobody knew what to do, as Yoshi regressed farther and farther into this bleak state...

"Mario, turn the heat up, please." Yoshi whispered one night. Mario, sans caps and wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and an undershirt, just stared over at him in bafflement. It had been a hot day, and even the night only granted a minor relief in the 80º house. The heater was cranked up, the fireplace was raging, and even Yoshi himself was buried under two thick quilts and a large pack of hot water on his head. The green saurian had been complaining recently of being deathly cold, and unable to warm up.

"Yoshi, it's nearly 97 degrees in here! I can barely breath! I don't understand how you can still be cold!"

Yoshi shuddered again, whimpering piteously. "Please, I'm so cold…"

Mario grunted, before getting up to head over to the thermostat to crank it up another notch. He had experienced harsher temperatures before…though he had to admit—traversing Sarasaland, and the Koopahari and Dry Dry Deserts were nothing compared to the sauna like house. Isle Defino came close, but was just shy by a heat wave. The brunette man could only wonder what the people at the power plant would be saying about his place in this sort of weather. 'I can just imagine it now: a 1200 coin heating bill for July…'

Mario shook his head. "Eh, Yoshi, I'm goin' to bed…"

Yoshi nodded once. "Alright. Thank you, Mario…" He looked up with a weak, sad smile as his eyes glistened over. Mario paused, feeling yet another twinge of pity for his friend, before heading outside to the hammock he had installed between the trees next to the house. Normally, he wouldn't even dream of sleeping outside on such a stick night, but the climate outdoors was positively balmy compared to the sweltering blast furnace inside.

The green dinosaur whimpered, lying onto his side as he curled up and clutched the sheets tighter around him. He was sweating, beads of it nearly cascading down his forehead, sides, and back, but he felt like he was freezing to death. His fingers, toes, they all felt numb.

**-Yoshi…- **The voice came, as scheduled. By this time, he had no longer recoiled from it, having come to expect it…usually after Mario or whomever else that was nearby had left him alone as he was "safely" by himself. Yoshi was frightened, but despite his fear of being alone, he couldn't bring himself to muster the courage to ask anybody not to leave his side. **-Yoshi…-**

_Yes….I'm here..._

**-As always. My friend, I want you to do something for me. A simple task. Nothing you wouldn't be able to bring yourself to do. A small favor. And I'll leave you alone. I promise.-**

Yoshi did not trust the voice, but he nodded wordlessly. He felt himself get up to his feet, though he didn't recall ever pushing himself up to that position. The heat pack and the quilt slid off his person, the water pack bursting onto the floor and spreading it everywhere.

**-Come.-**

It was the only thing it said, before Yoshi felt an unseen presence coax him into moving forward. This time, like when he had first entered the cave so very long ago, Yoshi gave no resistance, allowing himself to travel forward and out of the house.

By this time, Mario had already curled up in his hammock and had gone right to sleep to dream of pasta and other Italian confectionaries. Because of this, he had failed to notice the loud SLAM of the door as it closed, as was blissfully unaware as Yoshi walked away from the house and down the small path leading to the warp pipe.

Yoshi noticed numbly as he traveled on foot for what seemed like hours out to the middle of nowhere in particular. Though, as he traveled he began to feel more and more uneasy as he slowly came to realize the path was walking seemed very oddly familiar to him. It was only when he spotted the gaping maw at the bottom of the cliff side did he remember it was the very same path he had taken that led him there in the first place so very long ago. Despite this revelation, he continued to walk forward still driven by an overwhelming desire to continue. Unable to stop himself, Yoshi relented and entered into the cavern…

And for the first time in several months, Yoshi found himself in the same dark pool with the shimmering black pool of dark light. He felt a heavy pressure lift off his person and he crumpled to the ground weakly. Gasping for air, his feet aching from having traveled such a long distance, he glanced up towards the simmering pool.

**-Get in.-**

Whimpering, Yoshi closed his eyes and began to cry. He weeped, shedding tears as he struggled to his hands and knees. His strength failing him, all he could was simply reach out towards the ground in front of him to claw at it and drag himself towards the edge inching his way to the pool. Yoshi no longer resisted the will of the voice…its raspy drawl burning into his mind so much it since melted away his will to fight back. He figured, maybe, if he just did this "little favor," the voice _would_ go away, just as it had promised. Upon reaching the edge of the pool, Yoshi took a deep breath, gazing down into the endlessly midnight black, yet shimmering shining waters.

And then, he thought in the back of his mind he could _barely_ hear a tiny whisper, among the lightest of the breezes, of Birdo, begging him not to do it.

_I'm sorry, my love. I wasn't strong enough. Forgive me._

And with that, Yoshi plunged his head into the water…and felt his body slide in with him as he was immersed in the dark waters and began to sink. Then, everything went dark and Yoshi could no longer see or hear anything.

An eternity passed, and the next thing he knew, all he could feel was darkness. There was no warmth, but he was not cold. He was not breathing, but he was not short of breath. He no longer felt weak, but there was no strength. He did not know anything about where he was…..or even, who he was. There was no pain, there was no hunger. There was no desire.

There was nothing at all. And yet, there was.

In this void, he felt nothing. No urges, no emotions, no physical sensations. There was nothing, yet this was all there was. However, he knew there was something there; and that he was that something. He still had a sense of being. A sense of awareness.

_I think…therefore I am._

It was a thought. A simple though, that came from the farthest reaches of nowhere. It was there for a second, and then it disappeared back into the depths from whence it came. All of a sudden, he heard the voice again, this time emanating from every conceivable direction—the very environment itself was filled with an unseen force that surged in vast amounts of…nothingness…that was still present.

**-Yoshi….do you feel it? ...You don't, do you. You feel nothing…nothing at all. Yoshi, this is the sense of total liberation; a state of…absolute freedom.-**

Yoshi….the name was…familiar, yet foreign to him.

_Where…where am I? _His response felt just as powerful. He could nothing….yet he felt like he was…everywhere at once. He could hear his own voice resounding not just where he thought he was, but from all corners of this plane of existence.

**-You are…in another plane. Not quite another dimesion, and not quite a plane of death, nor life or death. Some people would incorrectly call this comatose. But, a more correct term would be….nirvana.-**

Yoshi felt himself nod off. He didn't know what the term meant, but he was content in not knowing.

**-I have brought you here…to show you that you do not have to life a live full of pain, suffering, and sorrow. This is the ultimate, and I'm merely giving you a taste of what people strive for. You desire this state…and you deserve it. But, you may have it, on one condition. You have a job to do…serve me. Serve me well, and this…I shall reward you with. Everlasting, eternal rest and peace that you so greatly desire; the liberation of all pain and suffering.-**

_Liberation of all pain and suffering…no more…pain…no more…hunger..._

**-No more war…no more hatred. No more. Just silence. And rest.-**

There was a pause. Another eternity seemed to pass.

_Yes. …Yes. I'll do it. I'll serve you._

Immediately, Yoshi woke up with a start. Aware of everything…he was Yoshi. His love, Birdo, had been killed in an accident. He was a resident of the Mushroom Kingdom. He was currently in a dark cave with a shimmering dark pool. He was standing…no longer tired. In fact, he felt…strong. Much stronger than he had ever remembered being. He no longer felt cold…

And he felt….free. His mind was no longer plagued with disturbing images of…of a pink female creature similar in ambiguity to his own. What was her name again? He suddenly recalled various faces….one of which being a portly middle aged man, wearing overalls and a red cap…who…fixed pipes for a living. Yet he couldn't recall his name, but he didn't feel like it was very important for the time being. He would remember; he was sure he would, in time.

However, his attentions turned towards the dark pool, which had begun to churn and bubble. The green dinosaur's eyes widened as he turned to gaze into the waters…as his vision was filled with a glorious, terrible sight. A wonderfully horrifying image, one that spawned command, respect, and fear as Yoshi cast his gaze upon him and immediately sunk to the ground onto his knees to bow his head.

"How may I serve you, Master?"

_**-TO BE CONTINUED**-_

_(A/N: And thus concludes another chapter of the Demonic Yoshi saga. As darkness seeps into the heart of our protagonist, darkness looms on the horizon…and a new dusk falls over the Mushroom Kingdom._

_Chapter 3: The First Kill coming soon._

_--B. Kitsune)_


End file.
